Zipp 30 rounded spoke nipple

[rliu]

Hi I rounded the spoke nipple on my Zipp 30 front wheel due to over tightening, realising that mistaken then trying to loosen. Am I right in thinking the nipple can also be adjusted/taken out with this Park Tool? http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/park-tool-3-way-internal-nipple-wrench-sw15/rp-prod27036

I had bought a cheap 5.5mm hex socket off ebay but the head of the tool would not fit into the round hole on the rim for the nipple.

 

[Yellow Saddle]

No. Zipp uses Sapim aluminium nipples which have a screwdriver slot, not hex.

I sill be surprised if you get the nipple off. It is probably frozen onto the spoke now and the only way to get the nipple off is to cut the spoke. Redoing it on a Zipp is not for amateurs, it is really, really difficult to get those spokes up to tension. You need to understand that the spoke will want to twist and you need to restrain it up to a point only. Flat spokes are not very strong in torsion. Once it feels like it will bend, you need to flex the wheel in the stand to relieve spoke tension whilst you turn the nipple. Use lots of oil on the nipple and thread.

 

[rliu]

Don't wanna come across ungrateful for the advice but I did try the screwdriver first of all but I do have a hex headed spoke nipple

zipp 30 rim nipple slot

• rliu
• 19 Apr 2016

 

[Yellow Saddle]

Don't wanna come across ungrateful for the advice but I did try the screwdriver first of all but I do have a hex headed spoke nipple

zipp 30 rim nipple slot

• rliu
• 19 Apr 2016

OK, I stand to be corrected. Zipp must have changed the nipple since I left the industry and it is a positive move.

The tool not fitting is a problem but a common one. Grind it down to size. Are the spokes bladed?

 

[accountantpete]

I had this problem on on old Shamal wheel and yours is probably similar - the difficulty is that the clearance between the diameter of the hole and the diameter of the nut is very small so that you need a very thinly walled hex socket - one which was specifically made for the job.

Being much too tight to buy a tool for just one job I got a hex socket and filed down the outer so that it fit into the hole - job done.

(Whoops - just noticed Yellow Saddle's reply which says just about the same)

Other than that - loosen all the other spokes and poke the stuck nipple out.